Travelers' Intercom

December 2011 issue | Appears on page 55

Solid advice

A reader asked where to find insect repellent and sunscreen in solid form (Sept. ’11, pp. 50-51), which would not need to go into the TSA-required “311” bag in your carry-on.

Cutter Outdoorsman has a solid insect repellent that is 30% DEET. (It’s sold in drugstores and outdoor-gear stores; one ounce costs about $7.50.)

Also, I just bought another Neutrogena Oil-Free Sunblock Stick (SPF 30) at a CVS Drug Store. It cost $8.99 in the store, but they don...

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December 2011 issue | Appears on page 56

Security pass

I was rushed from my home to the hospital on April 27, 2011, after passing out on my way to the mailbox. I had a pulse of 30 beats per minute. About an hour later the doctors had implanted a pacemaker.

I had a six-month recovery period, the first six weeks of which I was not allowed to lift my arms above horizontal. That was the only constraint, as it’s important for scar tissue to form to hold the wires in place. I was back to playing golf by Memorial Day.

On Aug. 20,...

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November 2011 issue | Appears on page 14

Alluring Alicante

I was delighted to read Martha Wiley’s article “Spending the Day in Alicante” (Sept. ’11, pg. 18). Alicante is a lovely city. One of its attractions is its moderate climate — never too hot or too cold.

Ms. Wiley mentioned the very nice beach Playa del Postiguet, which is right in town just beyond the yacht harbor and the Meliá and Porta Maria hotels. Another nice beach, larger and less crowded, is Playa de San Juan, easily reached by the tram that runs...

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November 2011 issue | Appears on page 14

Treats in Bologna
Le Due Torri — Bologna, Italy.
Bologna was famous for its many towers, but of the nearly 200 that were built only 21 remain. Le Due Torri (The Two Towers) are the city’s most striking landmarks, and the shorter one, like the Tower of Pisa, is decidedly leaning. You can climb 500 narrow wooden steps up to the top (320 feet) of one of Le Due for a spectacular view of Bologna.
November 2011 issue | Appears on page 16

A winter day in Ghent

While many may not view Brussels in December as an ideal getaway, my husband and I have long loved visiting Europe close to the Christmas holidays. In 2010 we centered ourselves at the Floris Arlequin Grand Place Hotel (€146-€179) in the I’llôt Sacré, Dec. 8-14, and took advantage of the holiday schedule to spend a weekend day in Ghent (Gent).

It was a quick 10-minute walk to the Gare Centraal, where we purchased round-trip train tickets to Ghent for a mere €8 ($...

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November 2011 issue | Appears on page 18

Key to navigation
We’ve all been in a new city and obtained a map showing locations of various sites. On a trip my wife, Anne, and I made to Seville, Spain, in April-May ’11, we made sure to get a map, then note that on its table of hotels, ours was number 61. After a morning tour with our group, we visited the Alcazar on our own. We saw many women dressed in bright flamenco outfits accessorized with matching flowers in their hair and jewelry. They were riding in horse-drawn carriages accompanied by men dressed in fancy clothes.
November 2011 issue | Appears on page 25

Thai Customs rule change delayed delivery

I stay part of the year in Bangkok, Thailand, where I have an apartment. In fall 2010, for the first time, I used a luggage-forwarding service called Luggage Free to send over some of my possessions. It was just household bric-a-brac (clothing, books, DVDs, etc.).

Sometime in September 2010, I contacted Luggage Free by a form on their website and arranged to have them pick up four pieces of luggage from my home in North Carolina on Oct. 13. I also spoke with a company representative...

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November 2011 issue | Appears on page 27

New deck plan results in less congeniality

My husband, Mark, and I took a Holland America Line (HAL) cruise on the Rotterdam from San Diego, California, to Callao, Peru, and back, Oct. 23-Nov. 22, 2010. We paid about $7,500 for the two of us.

Our cabin, No. 3388 on the Lower Promenade Deck, had a partially obstructed sea view, which was fine with us. This was our first time on the new Rotterdam, but on our many cruises aboard HAL ships we have particularly liked the Lower Promenade Deck because it did not require our going up...

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